The second-off-the-line Boeing 787-8 is undergoing hot weather testing at Yuma, Arizona. I’ll bet yesterday was a wasted day though (7/31/10) because it wasn’t all that hot in Yuma. There were cloudy skies and all things considered, it was actually quite pleasant. So I don’t think any plans for hot weather testing carried out yesterday would have proved much.
As I drove past the Yuma airport at 6:30 am yesterday morning, I was thinking about it being there and was looking for it – I finally spotted it from a distance, parked down toward the southwest end of the field all by itself. So later in the day when I had some free time, I went looking for it to see if I could get close enough for some photos. My first impression as I drove up was its size – my thought was that it was between the 757 and 767 in physical size, but checking Boeing's web site for the numbers showed the 787-8 is almost identical to the 777-200 in dimensions and weight so it is larger than both the 757 and 767.
I was able to get within a few feet – separated only by a chain link fence and airport security. I got a couple of photos as best I could, and talked to a Boeing employee, who was arriving at the site while I was peering through the fence. She asked me if I had any questions about it. I wasn’t expecting any hospitality – I thought it more likely that I’d get arrested for trespassing, so her friendliness was a bit of a surprise. All I could think to ask about was why the trailing edges of the engine bypass fan shrouds were scalloped. She said they were cut that way for noise abatement. After I drove away I thought of about one-hundred more questions I could have asked, of course -- including "was it going to fly today.." It would have been worth a wait if a flight was scheduled. There wasn't -- but checking on Flightaware.com later showed a flight on Sunday that spanned southern Arizona almost as far as Tucson in great big lazy loops.
I mentioned I didn’t like the shape of the nose, as it wasn’t “Boeing” enough. Boeing should not be allowed anything new – they should keep designing the same jetliner shapes they have since 1955… so traditionalist viewers like me won’t be offended. I have to say though that this bird is magnificent – and the “new” nose is growing on me in bits and pieces. It is also true that the nose treatment of the 757 and 767 wasn’t the same as the original 7-0, 7-2 or 7-3 series either (which were all three virtually identical), so perhaps I am being overly sensitive about this… The young Boeing person told me that the composite construction is plainly visible and would have been obvious if I could have seen the ship without her paint -- this one was already resplendent in her blue and white ANA colors.
The fact remains that I am extremely partial to Boeing products, and I don’t care at all for some of Airbus’s homely jets, advanced as they may be (like the A380). They're not as pretty when parked next to a comparable Boeing, not to mention the sublime beauty of a Convair 990 or a Super Connie from days past... about the only Airbus product that I think is even close to being beautiful is the A330/340. I just can't respect (the looks of) an aircraft with a bulbous nose like the A320 (although the head-on view isn't bad). About the best I can say about the A320 series is that they are "handsome." I was looking at a photo of an A340 on takeoff with the larger engines and I would admit that it was beautiful, but like I said... Anyway, if you want to see what I think is pretty, take a look here.
No... it’s Boeing for me, now that Lockheed, Convair, Douglas and McDonnell-Douglas no longer exist as builders of American heavy iron (a fact which causes me no small amount of distress, by the way). I don't mean to denigrate others -- I have seen some very beautiful Tupolev designs in particular, and who could say that the Concorde was not one of the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever -- there are even a couple of other beautiful British jets -- but none of these are common around here so they are not available for me to ooh and ahh over. Here, it is Airbus or Boeing, and as I said... I think Airbus's offerings are somewhat misshapen in terms of beauty. Don't think, all you airlines flying A320s, that this is not important! I actually pick my airlines of choice by the brand of aircraft they fly (among other considerations) -- whenever I can. I want to fly on an American jet. Long live Southwest Airlines!
The 787 “Dreamliner” is revolutionary in so many ways – it is as new and aviation-world-changing as was the DC-3 in 1935, the 707 in the late 50s, and the 747 in the 70s. Outside of music and film, the art encompassed in the design of beautiful airplanes (and motorcars and cycles, etc) is some of the only art I really care about. So I cannot wait to personally see this beautiful new airliner fly -- and to fly on it. It may be the last really new airliner I ever see; another thirty years from now I would be 87 and I seriously doubt I will live to that advanced age -- one can only hope and eat more fiber... So seeing this graceful new beauty was pretty exciting for me and I am hoping for a long romance between us.
Update December 2014: The 787 has had a bit of a troubled history so far. Here's hoping Boeing gets those bugs worked out and the aircraft has a long and illustrious service record. I have every reason to believe that they will.
As I drove past the Yuma airport at 6:30 am yesterday morning, I was thinking about it being there and was looking for it – I finally spotted it from a distance, parked down toward the southwest end of the field all by itself. So later in the day when I had some free time, I went looking for it to see if I could get close enough for some photos. My first impression as I drove up was its size – my thought was that it was between the 757 and 767 in physical size, but checking Boeing's web site for the numbers showed the 787-8 is almost identical to the 777-200 in dimensions and weight so it is larger than both the 757 and 767.
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| N787EX at Yuma, AZ - 07/31/2010 |
I was able to get within a few feet – separated only by a chain link fence and airport security. I got a couple of photos as best I could, and talked to a Boeing employee, who was arriving at the site while I was peering through the fence. She asked me if I had any questions about it. I wasn’t expecting any hospitality – I thought it more likely that I’d get arrested for trespassing, so her friendliness was a bit of a surprise. All I could think to ask about was why the trailing edges of the engine bypass fan shrouds were scalloped. She said they were cut that way for noise abatement. After I drove away I thought of about one-hundred more questions I could have asked, of course -- including "was it going to fly today.." It would have been worth a wait if a flight was scheduled. There wasn't -- but checking on Flightaware.com later showed a flight on Sunday that spanned southern Arizona almost as far as Tucson in great big lazy loops.
I mentioned I didn’t like the shape of the nose, as it wasn’t “Boeing” enough. Boeing should not be allowed anything new – they should keep designing the same jetliner shapes they have since 1955… so traditionalist viewers like me won’t be offended. I have to say though that this bird is magnificent – and the “new” nose is growing on me in bits and pieces. It is also true that the nose treatment of the 757 and 767 wasn’t the same as the original 7-0, 7-2 or 7-3 series either (which were all three virtually identical), so perhaps I am being overly sensitive about this… The young Boeing person told me that the composite construction is plainly visible and would have been obvious if I could have seen the ship without her paint -- this one was already resplendent in her blue and white ANA colors.
The fact remains that I am extremely partial to Boeing products, and I don’t care at all for some of Airbus’s homely jets, advanced as they may be (like the A380). They're not as pretty when parked next to a comparable Boeing, not to mention the sublime beauty of a Convair 990 or a Super Connie from days past... about the only Airbus product that I think is even close to being beautiful is the A330/340. I just can't respect (the looks of) an aircraft with a bulbous nose like the A320 (although the head-on view isn't bad). About the best I can say about the A320 series is that they are "handsome." I was looking at a photo of an A340 on takeoff with the larger engines and I would admit that it was beautiful, but like I said... Anyway, if you want to see what I think is pretty, take a look here.
No... it’s Boeing for me, now that Lockheed, Convair, Douglas and McDonnell-Douglas no longer exist as builders of American heavy iron (a fact which causes me no small amount of distress, by the way). I don't mean to denigrate others -- I have seen some very beautiful Tupolev designs in particular, and who could say that the Concorde was not one of the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever -- there are even a couple of other beautiful British jets -- but none of these are common around here so they are not available for me to ooh and ahh over. Here, it is Airbus or Boeing, and as I said... I think Airbus's offerings are somewhat misshapen in terms of beauty. Don't think, all you airlines flying A320s, that this is not important! I actually pick my airlines of choice by the brand of aircraft they fly (among other considerations) -- whenever I can. I want to fly on an American jet. Long live Southwest Airlines!
The 787 “Dreamliner” is revolutionary in so many ways – it is as new and aviation-world-changing as was the DC-3 in 1935, the 707 in the late 50s, and the 747 in the 70s. Outside of music and film, the art encompassed in the design of beautiful airplanes (and motorcars and cycles, etc) is some of the only art I really care about. So I cannot wait to personally see this beautiful new airliner fly -- and to fly on it. It may be the last really new airliner I ever see; another thirty years from now I would be 87 and I seriously doubt I will live to that advanced age -- one can only hope and eat more fiber... So seeing this graceful new beauty was pretty exciting for me and I am hoping for a long romance between us.
Update December 2014: The 787 has had a bit of a troubled history so far. Here's hoping Boeing gets those bugs worked out and the aircraft has a long and illustrious service record. I have every reason to believe that they will.
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